Tank vehicle



July 13, 1965 K. SJOBLOM TANK VEHICLE Griginal Filed March 28, 1960 FIG2 lNVEN TOR.

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United States Patent 3,194,442 TANK VEi-HCLE Kai Sjiihlorn, Rindogatan5, Stockholm, Sweden Continuation of application Ser. No. 17,934, Mar.28, 1966. This application Mar. 4, 1963, Ser. No. 262,788 tilainrspriority, application Elweden, Apr. 2, 1959, 3,1S/59 3 Claims. (Cl.222-176) This is :a continuation of my copen-ding U.S. patentapplicationSer. No. 17,934, filed March 28, 1960, now abandoned.

The present invention relates to fuelers for aircraft, particularly ofthe type used for rapid fueling of large airplanes in airports, andpreferably for jet aircraft.

The fuel used for jet engines is mainly of the petroleum types (JP-l andJP4) and these jet fuels require a considerably longer time for settlingthan fuels for aero piston engines, i.e. fuels of the high octanegasoline type. In this connection the term settling may be explained asfollows:

Fuel of the types referred to and particularly fuel of the petroleumtype contains water to a certain extent. As a result of varyingtemperature conditions between the outer atmosphere, the wall of thetank and the fuel, condensation and precipitation of water deriving fromthe water contents of the fuel occur at the inner wall of the tank.During motions of the tank, for example from a fueler filling stand tothe aircraft, said condensed or precipitated water becomes mixed withthe fuel. Such water occurring in the fuel has on many occasions causedengine troubles sometimes causing catastrophes. it is a main conditionthat fuel supplied to aircraft be free from water (only 0.02% of theweight of water maximum is allowed by, for instance, Rolls Royce for jetengines), and therefore the tank containing the fuel must be at rest fora period of time sufiicient to permit the water to sink so thatwater'free fuel may be supplied to the tanks of the aircraft. The timerequired for the water to sink to the bottom of the conveying tank istermed the settling time. The primary object of the invention is toprovide a tank for fuelers having a shape providing a minimum ofsettling time for the water contents in the fuel of the tank.

A further object of the invention is to obtain a fueler which isparticularly suitable for aircraft propelled by jet engines. Suchengines have a greater consumption of fuel per unit of time than pistonengines: Thus, the former types of engines require considerablyaugmented tanks and, as a consequence, fueling tanks of greatercapacity.

It is clear from the above that the main jet fuels, i.e., 119-1 and JP-l, require a longer settling time than that of the aero piston enginesusing aviation gasoline and also that the jet engine consumes greaterquantities of fuel than the piston engines so that the requirements ofwater separating means for jet aircraft and the capacity thereof aremore stressed. A further object of the in vention is to comply withthese requirements and to overcome the difficulties connected with theconstruction of a water separation system to be used in a conveyable fueer of great capacity.

The above and other objects that may become apparent as the descriptionproceeds are attained by a construction and arrangement of parts thatwill be described hereinafter, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings showing a preferred embodiment of the invention and in whichFIGURE 1 is a vertical elevation of the fueler and part of a tractioncar or truck belonging thereto, andv Bdhkdd Patented July 13, 1965FIGURE 2 is a transverse section along the central plane of the tank ofthe fueler on an enlarged scale.

The fueler shown in the drawing comprises a tank generally designated bylil and a truck or lorry 12 carrying the fore part of the tank. Only theaft part of the truck enclosing a pump unit 14 is illustrated. Said partincludes a wheel bogie 16 carrying a support member 18 secured to thebottom of the fore part of the tank.

The tank comprises an oblong shell 29 and opposite ends 22, 24. It isprovided with supporting means in the form of a wheel bogie 26 carryingthe aft portion of the tank. The supporting means at the fore and aftparts carry the tank in a lying or substantially horizontal position.

The shell of the tank is broadly tubular but not cylindrical. The innercross-section of the tank varies from one end thereof to the other,i.e., it is different at different points between the end walls. Onecross section has broadly the main shape of a triangle having one apexpointing downwardly. In the embodiment illustrated in the drawing thiscross section is located midway between the ends of the tank, but inpractice it may be situated nearer one end than the other. Thus, thesubstantially triangular cross-section should be located between the endwalls at a suitable point but the location at the middle of the tank ispreferred. The theoretical form of the cross section in View isindicated with chain-dotted lines as a triangle 23, in which thedownwardly pointing angle v should be rather small, i.e., less than andpreferably not exceeding 60. This involves the provision of steep sidesfor the tank at the cross section in View, which contributes to animproved water separating effect and collection of the water in thebottom of the tank. The broadly triangular shape also contributes to astiff tank structure, and as a result no reinforcing beams are needed atthe bottom portion of the tank which thus may be clean from projectingelements which could form pockets for the water and prevent its settlingat the bottom of the tank. In practice, and with regard to the strengthof the shell, the cross section may be made with rounded convex sidesand top as indicated by the full line 30 in FIG. 2, i.e., the crosssection takes the preferred main shape of a cardia.

As shown in FIG. 1 the bottom of the tank is indicated by two straightlines 32, 34 slanting to the cross section 2-2 shown in FIG. 2 anddescribed hereinbefore. The top is indicated by a single straight line.The angle between each bottom line and the horizontal should exceed apredetermined value which in case of such oil as jet fuel should not beless than about 7. Due to this slanting bottom and the steep sides ofthe tank, there is formed a sump 36 at the lowest point of the section2--2 which represents the greatest cross section of the tank. The sump36 may be completed with an additional sump 38 having a water drainagevalve 46 as shown in FIG. 1.

The discharge means for the fuel comprise a movable suction arm or pipe42, connected to a stationary pipe 44 by a swivel joint 46 permittingthe suction arm to swing in the vertical plane including the maximumcrosssection of the tank. The tubular suction arm has a suction month 48at its free end and is connected with a float 5t? adapted to keep themonth near the level of the fuel in the tank. In its lowest position thesuction arm 42 has its end resting on a bottom projection 52 as shown bychain-dotted lines in FIG. 2. The suspensions of the suction arm asdescribed result in a stiff and safe cons-truction.

The shape of the tank indicated hereinbefore and the location of thedischarge arm so as to be able to swing in the maximum cross section ofthe tank enable safe removal of fuel-from the tank to a high percentageof the total inner volume thereof. Thus, only 3 6% 'of said volume willbe located below the mouth of the suction arm in the lowest positionthereof, and therefore it is possible to safely deliver continuously upto about 96% ofthe contents of the tank. A further advan-tagerelates tthej fact' that in the case'of'd-a'ily (not continuous fuel- 'ing'service night a'nd' day) delivered volumes, there is no need for aseparate stationary settling tank even where the tank contains'jet fuel.Further, it is to be noted that "no watefseparators for removingcondensed or precipitated water are'ne'ces'sary in using the tankstructure and discharge mean-s 'described hereinbefore, provided thesettling-time after each'filling does exceed 10 minutes and provided adrain sample taken after said settling gives'a negative resultWhen'tested for water. Further'detailssuitable in practice are a loadingconduit' 54 containing 'a non return valve 56 and a quick couplinghalf58 forconnection to a loading hose. The flOatStl of the suction arm maybe combined with a level indicator 60' enabling the operator toascertain the contents of the tank accurately'at any time during thesupply to' an aircraft. A control chain 62 could be connected with thefioa-t'as shown in FIG. 1, and a vertical guide 64 maybe provided forthe suction arm. The discharge *pipe 44 may be secured to a transversestay 66 near the 'top orthe tank, and furthermore s'aid pipe' 44 isshown 'in' FIG, 1 as being connected to a vertical tube 68 carriedthrough the support member 18 and connected with the pumpunit 14 by apipe 70 in the truck 12." A dome lid "72 maybe mounted on the top of thetank at the rear end thereof.

The drainage valve 40 may be mounted on a substantially horizontalandtubular'discharge arm leading from t r the bottom of the sump 38.Wh-at' Ic laim'is: I

1. In a tank vehicle, a transversely curved elongated tank :bodytapering continuously longitudinally from a maximum cross sectionthereofl-ocate'd between t'he'ends of the tank bodyand'towar'd both endsof the tank body, the cross sectional shape of the tank body varyingprogressively from said maximum cross-section (to-both ends thereof toprovide a curved'bottomportion of said tank body sloping graduallydownwardly from both ends thereof to said'maxirnum section, drainagemeans at-the botat its other end at a water safety distance from theinner bottom wall of the tank body, the pivot enabling the arm to swingfrom a bottom position having itsmouth near the said bottom Wall at themaximum cross-section of the tank body to the top thereof and viceversa.

2. A tank vehicle, comprising a transversely curved elongated tank bodytapering continuously longitudinally from a maximum cross-sectionthereof having the shape like the contour of la cardia and located nearthe middle of the length of the tank body to the ends of the tank body,the crossgsectional shape of the tank body varying progressively "fromsaid maximum sectiontobo-th ends thereof to provide a curved bottomportion of s'aidtank body sloping gradually downwardly from bothendsfthereof to said maximum cross s'ectio'n, drainage meansbelow saidmaximum section for discharge of water separated from the contents ofthe tank, separate product discharge means for discharging the remainderof the said contents, means for adjusting the intake height of thelastnamed means, and means infront of and behind said maximumcr'ossasecti-onfor carrying the tank body.

3. In a tank vehicle as claimedin claim1,' further including a supporton the inner bottom wall of the tank body for the free end of thepivoted arm to define a lowest position of its mouth, permitting onlyabout"96% of the total volume of the tank tobedischarged through thedischarge means.

References Citedby the Examiner nrrno STATES PATENTS 814,880 3/06 Smallet al. 1,369,239 2/21 Gul'ick. 2,160,477 5/39 .Kramer. 2,526,520 10/50Von .Saspe 222464 2,681,748 6/54 Weller 222- 2,780,369 2/57 Kaney222-195 X 2,832,512 4/58 Brooks 222-405 X 3,003,775 1 10/61 Ackl'ey222-176 X LOUIS J. DEMBO, Primary Examiner. RAPHAEL M. LUPO, Examiner.

1. IN A TANK VEHICLE, A TRANSVERSELY CURVED ELONGATED TANK BODY TAPERINGCONTINUOUSLY LONGITUDINALLY FROM A MAXIMUM CROSS SECTION THEREOF LOCATEDBETWEEN THE ENDS OF THE TANK BODY AND TOWARD BOTH ENDS OF THE TANK BODY,THE CROSS SECTIONAL SHAPE OF THE TANK BODY VARYING PROGRESSIVELY FROMSAID MAXIMUM CROSS-SECTION OF BOTH ENDS THEREOF TO PROVIDE A CURVEDBOTTOM PORTION OF SAID TANK BODY SLOPING GRADUALLY DOWNWARDLY FROM BOTHENDS THEREOF TO SAID MAXIMUM SECTION, DRAINAGE MEANS AT THE BOTTOM OFTHE TANK BODY SUBSTANTIALLY BELOW SAID MAXIMUM CROSS-SECTION, AND MEANSTO DISCHARGE THE TANK BODY INCLUDING A TUBULAR ARM AND A FLOAT SECUREDTO SAID ARM, THE ARM BEING PIVOTED AT ONE END AND HAVING A MOUTH AT ITSOTHER END AT A WATER SAFETY DISTANCE FROM THE INNER BOTTOM WALL OF THETANK BODY, THE PIVOT ENABLING THE ARM TO SWING FROM A BOTTOM POSITIONHAVING ITS MOUTH NEAR THE SAID BOTTOM WALL AT THE MAXIMUM CROSS-SECTIONOF THE TANK BODY TO THE TOP THEREOF AND VICE VERSA.